Beginning Reading for Kindergarten
Kindergarten reading starts with a few wins. First, words your child already understands: color words. Then, building short vowel words with letter cards.
Color Word Booklets (8 Booklets)
Simple, repetitive sentences: “The apple is red. Color the apple red.”
Ready-to-use physical booklets or printable PDF so you can make your own.
You might like to focus on 1 color per week so child are not overwhelmed,
Part 1: Color words
Children already know red, blue, and yellow. That makes color words a good first “I can read this” moment.
Goal: see the word and know it quickly, without sounding it out every time.
How to practice:
Play Color Words Go Fish for extra practice that does not feel like a drill.
Part 2: Build words with letter cards
After sounds are underway, moving letters is one of the easiest ways to read and spell.
Your child can move the letters around, says each sound, and blends them into a word. Change one letter and the word changes: cat → hat → sat.
Start with three letter words-short-vowel words:
cat • hat • sat • map • pig • dog • sun • bed
When that feels easy, add four-letter words and word families.
About the Make-a-Word letters
Yellow = vowels
Blue = consonants
Capital on one side, lowercase on the other
Print on cardstock. No need to laminate the letters if you store them well.
Laminate the word mats.
Keep each letter in its own small labeled bag.
These letters get used again in first and second grade. That is why they are worth making carefully.
Word Mats- easy to make, I do recommend laminating these. They are also available free with the purchase of a physical set of letters.
How to store your Make a Word letters
Each letter is stored in its own labeled bag, making it easy to find the letters needed for each lesson and keeping everything organized for years of use.
These cards are double sided-so make sure you have a printer that can print double sided.